Heartbreaker
by Amnesie
Summary: Mark eavesdrops on a conversation, which leads him into trying to stop one of his coworkers from making a mistake. Cheesy McStizzie fix time again!


_Ah yes... another foray into cheesy Drabbleland. At least the pathways are paved in McStizzie, right? This one came to me as I laid in bed trying to sleep last night. I'm dedicating it to Lilly and Bethany who so kindly stayed up with me to have a McStizzie brainstorming session. I promised them I would think about the new fic I am plotting, but this came out instead. My bad!_

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**Heartbreaker**

He was trying to mind his own business. Really. However, there are some conversations that can't help but be eavesdropped on. Spying his favorite fellow dirty mistress and Addison's favorite god damn intern together in the hallway, he hung around, mildly curious. What he heard only piqued his interest more.

"I'm just saying, I'm worried about her, Alex. Ever since the whole George thing…"

Karev shook his head as Meredith trailed off. "Give her some time, Grey. She'll get over it. Besides, she didn't want our help, remember?"

She sighed heavily in response. "Did you see the guy who stumbled out of her room this morning? He looked- and smelled- homeless. Izzie would never go for someone like that."

He couldn't help but smirk. "Evidently, she did."

Meredith felt like throwing her hands up. "That's because she's not thinking. She's not Izzie."

Alex sobered. "I know and I'm worried too. But what can we do short of locking her in her room? Somehow I don't think she'd appreciate that."

"I don't know," Meredith replied tensely. "But she can't keep having sex with every man who walks by!"

This was his cue, Mark thought. Crossing the few feet separating him from the pair, he planted a smirk on his face.

"Who's sleeping around? Stevens? Where can I get in line?"

Alex snarled, "Don't even think about it."

Meredith ran a hand distractedly through her hair. "Yes, Izzie. George broke her heart and now she's gone crazy."

"She's turning into Grey," Alex added.

Meredith turned to stare at him. "Shut it. I'm reformed." Swiveling back to Sloan, she looked at him oddly. "We've all tried talking to her. It doesn't work. Maybe she needs some tough love. So… could you?"

* * *

As he walked into Joe's that night, he honestly hadn't a clue why he had agreed. Maybe it was because blonde, sex-starved women were his type. Or, perhaps, it was because he was drawn to seeing train wrecks in action. It couldn't have been, though, because he actually cared. 

He spotted her quickly, but it was her loud, bubbling laughter that drew his attention first. She had parked herself on a stool at the bar, her long legs on display in her tiny skirt and killer heels. Her long blonde hair had been liberated and fell in a flowing cascade of curls down her back. It was criminal, he thought to himself, that she was wasting the night with some random guy.

Especially that she was wasting her night on _him_. The man at her side, eating up her attention, was a paunchy, balding drone, the kind who probably was more at home playing with his calculator and keyboard than he was at seducing women. His laugh was nervous, his fingers clumsy, and his whole person forgettable. Yes, what a waste.

He approached them subtly, inching his way through the crowd. Sidling up behind Izzie, he put a hand on her bare arm and grinned in satisfaction as she shivered at the touch. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he wondered aloud, "What are you doing, Stevens?"

She drew back and turned to face him, rebellion burning brightly in her eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, Dr. Sloan, but I'm having some fun with Ben."

"Uh, it's Glen," her admirer added, swallowing nervously.

She waved him off. "That's what I meant."

Sloan reached out to return his hand to her bare skin, overcome with the need to touch her… anywhere. He settled on her shoulder as he moved closer. "Actually, it is my business since it was _your_ friends who asked me to talk to you."

She huffed loudly. "I'm fine. In fact," she said, grabbing her drink and smiling tipsily, "I'm terrific."

He wanted to roll his eyes. "No offense, but have you looked around lately?"

She looked over and smiled dreamily at the man she'd been drinking with. "Yes, I have. And you can't stop me from doing what I want tonight. All night long."

Mark glared at her, before turning his irate stare at the guy whose hopes she'd just inflated with her words; he looked as if he'd just won the lottery. "Don't do this," he snapped. "You could do better. Sorry Ben."

"Glen."

"Right. Stevens, you're stronger than this. So that prick O'Malley broke your heart. Oh well. Live and learn and stop fucking everything you see. No one knows better than me that it doesn't help."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him defiantly, while Glen flicked his gaze back and forth between the pair. "You know," he started hesitantly, "I think she should be able to do whatever she wants."

Mark's patience broke and he turned lividly toward the other man. "If anyone's taking her home tonight, it's going to be me, " he snapped. "Get over it and get lost."

Glen nodded and swallowed nervously. "Got it," he replied before scampering off.

Mark took his now vacant stool and motioned for Joe to get him a scotch. When he turned back to Izzie, he grabbed her shoulders gently. It was at the soft touch that her feelings were unleashed. "I don't get it," she started, wiping at her moist eyes. "First everyone worried when I was too emotional, now they worry when I don't let my feelings overwhelm me."

"You're repressing them, not resisting them. There's a difference," he said, rubbing his warm hands over her skin. "And your friends are going to worry because they like you. Consider yourself lucky."

Her tears were falling quicker now and he awkwardly put his arm around her, unsure how to comfort a crying woman. She leaned into his embrace and sunk into the warmth it offered. "I just need to feel. To feel loved," she muttered quietly.

He ran his hand through her hair, delighting in the touch. "These men don't love you, Izzie."

"Gee, thanks," she laughed sardonically.

He shook his head. "But you knew that already." After a pause, he said, "If all you want is human contact, you've got friends. For a man without any, it sounds pretty good to me."

She looked up into his eyes and wiped at her face. "You just gave me a hug, Mark Sloan. Does that mean we're going to be friends?"

He let her go and eased back onto his stool. "I don't know about that, Izzie Stevens. I might be too much for you to handle."

She grinned at his flirtatiousness and let out her first genuine laugh of the night. "Oh, I have amazing capabilities," she replied mischievously.

He took a sip of his scotch and surveyed her carefully, his eyes blazing a heated path down her body. "I'm sure you do," he murmured.

She winked at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Come on, Stevens. I'll buy you another drink and then you're going home-- alone."

Her face twisted into a pout, which he had to admit was pretty attractive. "So you're rejecting me too? Great. This is why a girl has to take matters into her own hands. It's because the guys in her life are dense."

He let out an exasperated snort. "Please. I'm just delaying the inevitable for one more night. I wouldn't want to be accused of taking advantage."

"Oh. Okay then. So you'll meet me here tomorrow?"

He smirked devilishly in response. "I suppose. Only… leave Ben at home this time."

Her face twisted in confusion. "Wait. I thought his name was Sven."

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_Yep, that was it. I warned you it was cheesy. Much love to anyone who reads/reviews! Thanks. :)_


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